A Game of Cat and Bird
by TheInnocentLookingOne
Summary: Tim/OC. Tim and Sapphire think they have what they call a 'standard Bat/Cat relationship'. They enjoy the chase, flirt, and then take their leave, to meet at the next heist or Gotham Socialite event. Subliminally, deeper feelings are growing. When she's kidnapped by the Reach on one of their nightly chases, Tim will do anything in his power to make sure he returns her safely.
1. Prologue

Sapphire was good at what she did.

Never mind the fact that what she did was lie and thieve, but in a city like Gotham, a city of liars and thieves and killers, she figured it didn't make much of a difference anyway. At first, in her opinion, she did what was strictly needed to get by. Things got especially bad after the house fire that killed her parents. She'd been six when it happened, and all she could remember was the feeling of a white hot burn singing her, chasing after her, a red hot killer, and her father screaming at her to get out of the house, to get as far away as possible, and find one of the neighbors.

Saf made it out of the house, of course. Her parents weren't so lucky.

* * *

Saf ran away from the orphanage a total of forty times in her first eight weeks living there. She tried everything to get away. At six, she was scrawny, and she'd hacked all her dark hair off with a rusty switchblade she'd found in an alleyway, but the police always found her, always brought her back. She'd beg and scream and cry on the drive to the desolate gray building, but they'd haul her out of the patrol car, and hand her right back to the matron.

"Sapphire!" The plump, stringy- haired woman would shriek to the heavens. "What do you think you were doing?!"

"Leaving, Ma'am," Saf would whimper in return, shuffling her feet and fixing her dark eyes on the peeling wallpaper to either side of her, and the matron would scowl and yell, and then she'd hit Saf, refuse to let her have dinner as punishment, and send her back off to the girls' wing. Saf would go willingly, she didn't want to be with the other children, the little bullies they'd become, and she didn't mind missing dinner. It was always gross anyway.

The orphanage was more of a prison than anything else. There were bars over the windows, and the beds were old, with iron headboards, saggy, worn mattresses that hurt her back, and threadbare blankets. All the kids wore the same dull gray clothes, ate the same tasteless gray meals, and lived the same boring, gray lives. Sapphire was tired of it within the first four days. Every night, after curfew, she'd climb up onto the window sill, and watch the stars, ignoring the hushed whispers of the other kids. She wanted to leave so desperately, and every time she managed to slip out, she was gone a little longer, got a little further away, and she was sure that with a few more attempts, she could actually make it.

She just had to get out first.

On the day of her seventh birthday, Saf stole a red scarf from the Matron's closet, and a good pair of shoes from one of the 'good kids', and snuck out the broken area of the attic roof during lunch. The shingles were slippery, and it was raining, but Saf pulled the scarf around her head, and leaped onto the fire escape of the neighboring building. For once, she was thankful for the narrow space between buildings in cities like these. She quickly scaled the fire escape to the roof, icy rain pelting her body and wind stinging her eyes, but she climbed anyway, feeling herself swell with pride when she reached the top. She'd always escaped through the kitchen door and gone south. Now, she was going west. This would throw Matron off for a while.

Saf steeled herself, taking a deep intake of breath before she leapt across to the next building. She slipped, falling onto her stomach and evidently bruising her front and scrapping up her palms and knees, but she made it, and she was safe. She kept up the roof jumping until the alley next to the end of the block, where she stopped and climbed down the fire escape, brushing her bloody hands against the red scarf before burying her hands in the pockets of her drab gray pants, head bowed, slipping easily through the lunchtime throng of people, going pretty much unnoticed as she switched directions at random, tagging along with one woman or another, to make it look like she was there with a purpose.

She must've walked for nearly an hour before a patrol car passed, and she ducked into the shadow of an alley. The rain had eased up, but the wind only got worse, and she was soaked through to the bone. When the rain finally let up for good, she found a dry spot in an alley under an overhang, and curled up in a little ball, desperate for sleep.

"You out here alone, kid?" Saf glanced up at the voice. He didn't look like police, just a curious young man, most likely, but Saf's eyes widened and got that wide, teary quality to them and he sighed. "A Gotham street ain't exactly a good place to cozy up for some sleep. That's how ya get yourself killed." Saf sniffled and nodded, to show she understood. "You got a family to go to?" She was hesitant before shaking her head at him. The man sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a frustrated gesture, judging by his posture.

"I'm not going back to the orphanage," Saf informed him, her voice shaking. "I refuse."

"I get why," he muttered, sizing her up. "Why don't ya come with me? I could show you the tools of the trade kid, I'm sure you'd be good."

"What's the 'trade'?" Sapphire asked, taking his outstretched hand.

"I'm gonna teach you ta steal," he replied casually. "Make a good little thief outta ya."

Saf cocked her head, confused, because her dad had always said thieves were bad, but nonetheless, she followed the man willingly away from the alley, back to his home, the center of his little operation.

* * *

"Stop right there!" Saf, almost nine years old, sprinted full tilt down the street, her shoes slapping the wet pavement as she ran from the police. She ducked into an alley as soon as she could, finding it ironic that the one time she wasn't stealing anything, the cops had to decide that a little girl hanging around outside a bank was suspicious. She grunted, annoyed, and turned the corner sharply, winding up on another street, jammed with unmoving traffic. Shooting a glance behind her and seeing the cops, still being stubborn and persistent, chasing her all over the city, she ran out onto the street, sliding over the hood of a bright yellow taxi, ducking and weaving through bumpers and fenders before bursting out on the other side. She didn't pause, instead choosing to continue her zigzag path in hopes to elude her pursuers.

She was actually quite surprised they'd managed to follow her thus far. They both had potbellies, from too many donuts and coffee, Saf guessed, and they were obviously too clumsy to be good officers, tripping over themselves and each other and innocent bystanders. Sapphire was almost tempted to laugh as she ran, but she needed the energy, and wasn't going to risk being caught, especially by officers like these.

She almost had them beat when she ran into the woman. They were both knocked flat, and Saf apologized breathlessly while she turned, to find that the police had caught up. She flinched out of fear of returning to the orphanage, when the woman she'd knocked over suddenly wrapped her arms around Saf tightly, hugging her tearfully in an almost over exaggerated way.

"Oh, sweetie, I was so scared when you got lost! Thank you, kind officers, for returning my daughter to me," she seemed so sincere even Saf nearly believed her for a second, the woman's wide green eyes portraying what seemed to be real emotion. "How can I ever repay you?"

One officer - the older one, with coffee breath and the bigger belly - coughed awkwardly. "Just doing our duty, Ma'am," he told her, looking down. "We're glad your daughter was returned to you safely." He grabbed his comrade's arm and began to drag him back toward where they'd ditched the patrol car.

"Thanks," Saf said, stunned, as she looked up at the woman, who was now back on her feet. She was of average height, Saf noted, with short, dark hair and bright green eyes. She was dressed like a typical Gotham Socialite, and Saf briefly wondered why she was being given the time of day. "You really saved me there."

"What kind of woman would I be if I didn't keep kids safe from a place like that awful orphanage?" The woman shuddered. "The streets aren't much better though. Why were they even chasing you?"

"I was waiting in front of a bank," Saf replied.

"Waiting for what?"

"Somebody to pickpocket," the girl blurted, before her eyes widened and she clasped a hand over her mouth. To her surprise, the woman laughed.

"I think we might just get along." She informed Saf. "I'll bring you back to my place. What's your name?"

"Sapphire. But, I like to be called Saf."

"Pretty. Nice to meet you, Saf, my name's Selina Kyle."

* * *

A/N: And end Prologue. I've wanted to write DC for forever, so yeah. Young Justice. Tim/OC. Cat and Mouse relationship, Hero/Anti-hero, maybe I'll make her a hero at some point, but, yep. No update schedule. Will update this whenever I feel like it. Will follow season 2 timeline somewhat, and possibly after, I dunno.


	2. Chapter 1

"Hey Birdie." Tim didn't look up from where he was standing on the Wayne building. He already knew who it was anyway.

"Shadow," he greeted, eyes still scanning the streets for any small- time crimes he could stop before turning in. "Wasn't aware Catwoman had anything planned for tonight." The smaller fourteen- year- old sat down by Tim's feet. She was out of uniform, which Tim knew was strange, because when she was out this time of night, it was always for some robbery or another. _Come to think of it_, Tim noticed, _her voice is hoarse, too._

"No plans for tonight," she confirmed, still looking down. "Just... wanted to talk, I guess. I know I can trust you." Tim was intrigued now. He had a bit of time to spare.

"You're never out on January fifth. Or fourth, or sixth." He sat down next to Saf, who was still staring at the ground, letting his legs dangle into the space below. "Sapphire? What's going on?"

"Eight years," she whispered. "Today. Eight years." Tim frowned slightly. _Eight... oh._ When she looked up at him, her usually warm and teasing brown eyes were red- rimmed, she was obviously trying to hold back more tears. Without hesitation, Tim wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her lean on him.

"I know it hurts," he said quietly. It was disconcerting, seeing Shadow- _Sapphire_- break down. "It probably won't ever stop hurting, but they would have wanted you to move on." She nodded.

"Distract me, please. Tell me about your night. How's the Boy Wonder?" Tim smiled slightly, she always did this. Deflecting, when the conversation turned toward a topic she wasn't comfortable with.

"Nightwing assigned me as a field leader, we were investigating some alien threat. Kroloteans, they're called. They've been stealing technology and posing as humans here for who knows how long. I was working with Lagoon Boy and Blue Beetle, and we were on Gamma Squad. They give Gamma the soft jobs, usually, but it turned out we were sent to the big one, accidentally. Multiple Zeta platforms, an army of Kroloteans and all the human captives. We managed to get everybody out before the whole thing self- destructed. Patrol's been quiet though."

"Sounds exciting," Saf murmured.

"It was. You're coming to that stupid Gala Bruce is throwing tomorrow?" It was more of a statement than a question. Selina never missed an opportunity to tease Bruce. Saf nodded again, obviously tired. "C'mon, Catgirl, you need sleep." Tim lifted the small girl easily into his arms.

"Told you not to call me that," she reminded him, looping her arms around his neck.

"And I told you not to call me Birdie." He looked down at her. other than the tear trails, she looked relatively normal. Her black bob was mussed, the bangs braided down one side as usual, her skin always retaining its tan despite the heavy gray cloud Gotham's had almost non- stop for months. "Have you been sleeping at all?"

"Yes, just not well since New Years." She replied, tightening her hold on him. "Tired."

"I noticed," Tim said dryly, shifting her into one arm so he could pull his grapple out with the other hand. "Hold on tight, Sleeping Beauty. Wouldn't want to lose you."

"How charming," she was probably rolling her eyes, but as Tim held her tighter and swung out over the empty space to the next rooftop, he was too focused on keeping her with him and landing safely to actually look. "I can make it home on my own, you know."

"Just a safety precaution," Tim told her smoothly. "Better safe than sorry." She sighed against his neck, which was her way of stating she was through with the argument, and relaxed fully against him, the only tense muscles being her arms, still holding Tim like a lifeline. He figured it would be a lot more awkward with a random civilian than with somebody like Saf, who he knew inside and out.

He was still about halfway across the city from her Penthouse, and she was starting to fall asleep on him, so Tim shifted Saf into his other arm, and used the now half- asleep one to press a finger to his comm link. "Robin to Batman."

"Batman here." He was probably still out, since he wasn't demanding to know where Tim was.

"I'm taking Shadow home, she's had a long night. I may be a few minutes late."

"Acknowledged." There was a click that signaled the end of the conversation, and Tim called his bike, using the fire escape to reach ground level. It would be faster than travel via rooftop, that was for sure. When the bike reached the alley, he shook Sapphire awake.

"Come on, Saf, you need to be conscious on the motorcycle, even if I'm riding with you."

"M'kay," she promised, and to her credit, she did stay relatively conscious, but Tim still made sure she was wrapped around him securely. She leaned her head on his back the whole time, and he'd pinch her hand on occasion, to make sure she was awake, and she'd yelp and hit him in the stomach, which didn't really faze him considering how much body armor he had on with the suit.

"No more falling asleep on me, Sapphire, I mean it. I have to get you home, especially when you're in a state like this."

"You make me sound like I'm five and my goldfish just died," she muttered, obviously not very happy with him. Tim sighed heavily and shook his head, almost praying that there wouldn't be any crime between here and his destination, just because he didn't trust her when she was like this.

"If you had a goldfish and it died, it would be your own fault, because obviously you did something stupid like fail to feed it." He told her. She laughed shortly.

"That's probably true," Saf admitted. "How's the family?"

"Relatively the same. I never knew Dick could take anything as seriously as he is with the Team, Bruce is pretty much still banging his head against a wall after Jason, and Alfred's still holding it all together."

"Thought B was starting to get that Jason wasn't his fault."

"When does he ever realize something the easy way?"

"True." They pulled up to her building and Tim stashed the bike, helping Saf tiredly to her feet as they trudged toward the door. She was basically falling on him, and he was pretty much carrying her, supporting more of her weight than she was. Lucky she was tiny.

Tim knocked with his foot when he reached the penthouse. Selina opened it, rubbing at one of her eyes and obviously ready to curse out whoever was there, but she paused upon seeing the pair. "Robin. What are you doing here?"

"Saf tracked me down, she said she wanted to talk. She was falling asleep on me, and I didn't trust her to get home on her own." He transferred the sleepy girl into Selina's arms.

"Thanks, Tim. Say hi to Bruce and Alfred, okay?" He nodded once.

"Bye Birdie," Saf slurred as Selina shut the door and Tim turned around, ready to go home. Dealing with Sapphire on a regular basis could be tiring, dealing with her when she was half- conscious? Tim was not doing that again anytime soon.

* * *

"What's the secret?" Tim gritted out between clenched teeth. Dick rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed briefly.

"The secret is to pretend, Little Wing." Tim groaned at the answer, forcing a smile as he shook hands with another nameless rich man, who then moved on into the ballroom. "Grin and bear it, Tim. It'll only be a few hours."

"Hi boys," Barbara smirked as she walked up to them. "Having fun?"

"I'd rather have an intensive training session," Tim muttered darkly.

"It's only marginally better than the failsafe exercise five years ago," Dick added. Babs and Tim winced, and Babs quickly pulled the first Robin into a hug.

"C'mon, let's go get something to eat," she gently pulled him toward the buffet on one end of the ballroom. Tim sighed, working a finger into the knot of his tie and tugging a little bit. The room was stifling, the scent of perfume was heavy and he was already fed up with everything, despite that the event had barely started.

"Bored, Timmy?"

"Completely," he admitted, turning to Saf, who was leaning against the banister to his left. "When did you get here?" She shrugged bare shoulders, and Tim forced himself to focus on her face, looking for the telltale signs that something was off.

"A while ago."

"How are you doing?"

"Holding together," she replied. "Come dance with me, I'm sure Bruce will understand." She held out her hand, and Tim took it, grateful for any excuse to leave his post. They walked into the room, crowded with Socialites, and Tim sighed. He was in for a long night. Saf smiled at him, arching an eyebrow, before he pulled her close in the standard closed dance position. She was wearing silk, it was smooth and cool against his hands, and she smelled like orange blossoms, which was standard for her.

"It smells like a perfume shop threw up," Saf mused as they weaved through the mass of bodies. Tim nodded his agreement, he was tempted to go down to the Batcave and retrieve a gasmask, the fumes were noxious enough for it. It was already drowning out his sense of Saf's natural scent.

"I'm fourteen, I don't want to deal with old rich women using enough anti- aging cream to make a five year old disappear pinching my cheeks and telling me I'm 'cute'. Dick gets 'handsome young man' and I get 'cute'." He grumbled. Sapphire laughed.

"At least you don't get lectures from strangers. 'Keep your back straight' or 'your hair looks like a dead possum, girl!'," she mocked the voices of some of the city's socialites, and Tim couldn't help but smile as the song finished, and they moved to the food table, where Dick and Babs were lingering, trying to find an excuse not to dance. "Those two are hopeless, aren't they?"

"Dick's waiting for a sign that she likes him, she's waiting for him to step up and act on his feelings. Both get flustered easily around each other, but Babs is better at hiding it. Yep. Hopeless," Tim smirked. "How much longer do you think this is going to be?"

"Three hours maybe? Give it another forty or so minutes before the women are giggly on champagne and the men are only looking to get lucky, and then we can sneak into the kitchen and hang with Alfred," she suggested.

"Sounds like the perfect plan," Tim agreed, scanning the crowd and loading some food onto a plate without looking at it.

"In the mood for snails, Timmy?" Saf arched an eyebrow. Tim flinched and looked down at where he'd been reaching for the plate of escargot. He shuddered and wiped his hand on the black suit jacket, quickly moving on. Saf smiled and shook her head, biting into a crab cake.

The Gotham Elite milled around the room for a while as Tim and Saf occupied a small table in one shadowy corner, pointing people out and making wild assumptions that could very well be common place. It was no secret the women were only in it for the money, and there was more than one Gotham housewife under suspicion of having their husbands killed, but by the time Police got any info, the sources weren't able to be reached and there was no evidence at all. Fifty minutes later, to Tim's chagrin for the extra wait, they manage to slip out of the ballroom and head for the kitchen, immediately hopping so that they're both sitting on the Island, waiting for Alfred to walk in. As soon as they were sure they left unnoticed, Tim undid the tie and Saf took off her heels and mussed her hair. They let out twin sighs of relief and relaxed, kicking their feet.

"Master Tim, Miss Sapphire," Alfred nodded as he walked in, unsurprised. The teens both grinned at him as he put on the water for hot chocolate.

"Thanks Alfred," Tim said, pulling Saf down from the island. "We're gonna go get changed, can you bring it up to my room?"

"Of course, Master Tim." With that, they were gone, flying up the stairs before anybody could see. They were used to this routine, even as Tim pulled an extra t- shirt and a pair of sweats for Saf, already peeling off his suit and hanging it on the door for Alfred to collect later. When he came back, Saf had already changed, her dress and jewelry stored in one of her duffels by Tim's bed. She grinned impishly at him, and Tim rolled his eyes, holding back a grin of equal width.

"What are you in the mood for?" she questioned, falling back onto his bed like she owned it, arching an eyebrow.

"Relaxing. How about we do a movie?" he suggested, gesturing toward the television mounted on one wall of his room.

"Action or mystery?"

"Sherlock. Perfect mix of both." He held up the second Sherlock Holmes, which he knew for a fact Sapphire hadn't seen yet, no matter how badly she wanted to. It took maybe two seconds for her to be bouncing off the bed, across the room and leaping over the back of his curved couch, giving him her most expectant look, the same one she uses right before he lets her get away after a heist. The chase was never serious.

"You gonna play it anytime soon?" She questioned, reclining and pulling a blanket from beside the bed. Tim was the tidy Robin, Dick even called him OCD, but he always left the movie blanket next to the couch. Saf came over at least four or five times a week, they both found it relaxing being with a person their age that they had no secrets to keep hidden from. He set the movie on play and sat next to her, pulling his fair share of blanket over himself. Maybe five or six minutes into the movie, Alfred let himself in and handed them a big bowl of nacho cheese popcorn and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Tim relaxed completely, setting the mug down on the table when he was finished and leaning back, feeling the familiar press of his best friend, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, thigh to thigh. She watched the screen relentlessly, still nursing her rapidly cooling hot chocolate and absentmindedly picking at the popcorn.

Tim blinked himself awake at some ungodly hour of the night. The title menu on Sherlock Holmes was playing, two empty mugs were sitting on the table with a three- quarters empty bowl of nacho popcorn, and Saf was leaning heavily against him, breath deep and even. Tim assumed Selina must have stayed over, since he hadn't been woken for patrol, which meant Dick and Babs had it covered. That though in the back of his mind, Tim lifted Saf up behind the back and under the knees and gently transferred her to the bed. When he tried to move back to the couch for some more sleep, figuring it would be smart to get ahead while he could, Sapphire clutched at his shirt, mumbling something unintelligible. He tried to untangle her, but damn her grip was strong. She rolled over, still pulling on him, and Tim was forced down onto the bed with her. When he was stretched out next to her, Saf smiled in her sleep and wrapped an arm around him to keep him there. Tim blushed and cursed in his head as Saf laid her head on his chest. Resigned, he pulled the blanket over the both of them and closed his eyes for some more sleep.

* * *

A/N: Let it be known that I cannot write introductions. The inciting incident happens almost immediately in my stories, falls straight into the rising action, and the climax is over too quickly. I'm trying to change that, but it's hard to still make it interesting. Review!


	3. Chapter 2

Saf tugged on a dark, choppy strand of her hair, glaring at the ceiling with carefully masked, well restrained anger. It was taking a toll on her, not letting it show, but she was _well aware_ of how much Tim filled out after he started training to be Robin, she didn't need other girls reminding her of that _here_, at school, her last sanctuary from the world of heroes and anti- heroes and villains. Saf clenched her fists when she saw that dumb blond a seat ahead of her, lean back to ask Tim a question about the homework. Tim, who was so damn _oblivious_ of their obvious and sloppy attempts at flirting, and _dammit, why was Saf so angry?_

Tim was about to start explaining something _painfully_ obvious to the blond when Saf cut in harshly. "If you find this so challenging, maybe you should switch out of AP," she was all- out glaring and she knew it, arms folded across her chest and one eyebrow raised in an intimidating fashion. The girl- Whitney, Saf thought her name was- straightened, pushing her chest out and trying to make herself look bigger, but Saf was ready, so she smirked. "In fact, if you want to keep up your embarrassing GPA, you might want to immediately switch into something closer to your intelligence level. Maybe take a lower course, or at least cheat off somebody who has a brain a little closer to a believable level for somebody like you. Timmy's _way_ too smart for that."

"Listen here, you little orphan wannabe-" Whitney started in.

"You think I haven't heard that before?" Saf snorted. "There's nothing you could possibly say that would hurt me, Blondie. I suggest you turn back around now, because no matter how bitchy you think you can be, you still have too much to learn." Whitney's eyes narrowed, cogs turning in her brain like she was going to try a comeback, but she seemed to think better of it, tossing her hair over her shoulder like she was the best thing since sliced bread (Saf never really got that saying, but she'd heard Selina and Bruce use it before) and facing the front. Tim, sitting next to Saf, laughed. She gave him a hard look.

"What's got you so upset, Saf?" He asked, finally attempting to stifle his laughter.

"Nothing," Saf huffed, turning away from him and crossing her ankles, glaring out the window. It was cloudy, and probably cold, but not raining. Not yet.

"Hey," she felt his hand on the bare skin of her arm, and she relaxed fractionally. "Saf, I know something's up."

"Just... you're my best friend. I don't want some blond Barbie who isn't good enough for you taking you away from me. I know that sounds selfish, but I just... I don't know what I'd do." She sighed and swung her bag over her right shoulder, standing and walking to the teacher's desk. "Can I be excused? I need a minute."

She must have looked devastated, because the teacher only nodded and said, "Of course, Sapphire, take all the time you need." She handed Saf a hall pass, and she nodded her thanks before hastily leaving the room. Her last period would be P.E. anyway, so Saf stopped by her locker and exchanged books before sneaking out the building. She could walk home, it was broad daylight and she wouldn't have to pass by Crime Alley anyway, so she wrapped a jacket around her shoulders, pulled her hood up and started the walk.

She really hadn't expected Tim to follow her. She swung her fist instinctively when she was pulled into the alley, her captor's strong arm around her waist. He caught her fist and pressed her against the wall, forcing her to face him. She let out a sigh of relief and calmed down quickly when she realized who it was, then got angry all over again.

"What are you doing?" Saf demanded, pulling herself free of Tim and pushing him back so there was more space between their bodies.

"What am _I_ doing? Saf, you're off kilter, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" He seemed genuine, but Saf was in no mood for questions.

"_Nothing's wrong_!" She took deep breaths and turned so she was facing away from Tim, wrapping her arms around her sides. "I'm fine. Go back to class, Tim." She was careful to mask her tone of voice, but he saw through it anyway. She knew he did. He caught her shoulder in one hand and used it to turn her around.

"Saf. Sapphire, talk to me. Please." She refused to look at him, shaking her head. Tim sighed before grabbing her bag and taking her wrist, pulling her deeper into the alley. "In that case, I'm kidnapping you, and you aren't going home until you talk." Saf's eyes widened when she realized she was serious, and she dug her heels into the asphalt.

"What, Tim-"

"Robin, not Tim," he corrected, fishing a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and zipping a red and black windbreaker over his Gotham Academy uniform. "Where we're going, you can't use my civilian ID." He pushed her inside an out of order phone booth that was in bad disrepair, shutting the door and punching something into the keyboard. She pounded against the door.

"What are you-"

_Recognized: Sapphire. A-11_

"Robin!" Saf shrieked as she stumbled out of the Zeta tube. She blinked, noticing Nightwing standing there with two tall, built guys, one wearing a Superman Shield, the other with darker skin, wearing an average college- age guy outfit. Normal civilian wear, it was kind of out of place, but then again, so was her uniform. "Hi."

"Sapphire, what are you doing here?" Dick was clearly in his version of the 'Mission- mode', so she decided to tell the truth.

"Robin kidnapped me." He arched an eyebrow beneath the mask, he knew her well enough to believe, but the two others with him seemed skeptical.

_Recognized: Robin. B-20_

"Robin?" Nightwing sighed. "Why'd you kidnap Saf?"

"Because we need to talk seriously and she's deflecting me, so she isn't going back to Gotham until I'm sure she's telling me the whole truth," Tim answered, grabbing Saf's hand. "It could take a while."

"You'll have to do it when we get back, we're going to Malina Island. I need you there. Saf can stay here for now, with Mal. Right, Saf?" Dick turned to her, and she shrugged.

"I have homework to do anyway, but I'd appreciate some normal clothes. I hate this uniform." She tugged on the navy skirt.

"Robin can get you something while he changes into uniform. Mission briefing in five minutes." Nightwing turned back to his companions, and Saf raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Never seen him stay serious for that long. It's kind of creepy." Tim nodded in agreement, leading her toward the rooms. His was nondescript, probably because he spent more time in Gotham than at the cave, but he pulled a Robin uniform from the closet and tossed Saf a pair of loose workout pants and a t- shirt, that she looked at with amusement. "A Batman T- shirt? Really?"

"It was a present from Dick. He thought it was hilarious," Tim replied, already clipping things on. She shrugged, changing quickly while Tim led her back toward the main room. "Kitchen's here, make whatever you want, rec room, library's down that hall. Sorry about this," he added. "Leaving you here, I mean."

"Not like I had anything planned," Saf shrugged. "I'll see you when you get back, Wonder Boy." He rolled his eyes and she smirked, falling onto the green couch easily. It was well- worn and comfortable, she was content to stretch out for a while.

* * *

"How'd the mission go?" She asked, sitting on Tim's couch at the manor a few hours later. He was being a grumpy bird; scowling and glaring at the floor, so she snapped in front of his face. He turned the scowl up toward her, but she was having none of it. "Timothy Jackson Drake, if you don't stop being so pissy right now, so help me, I'll-"

"They blew up Malina Island."

"...the hell?"

"Yeah," Tim scoffed. "An Island. We don't even know who 'they' are yet, but their bomb blew up an entire island and all the Kroloteans on this planet. Gone."

"Oh, Timmy, you know it isn't your fault, if that's why you're so angry."

"My anger is a buildup of many different things, including you avoiding me," he retorted, taking Saf's hand and yanking her down hard enough that she landed on the bed beside him. "So why don't you just tell me now?"

"Because I can't tell you what I don't understand myself." She looked anywhere but at her best friend. "It's complicated, Timmy."

"Well then make it uncomplicated, because I'm not letting you leave until you do."

"We have school tomorrow."

"Do I look like I care right now?" Tim demanded, rolling so that he was in a pushup position above Saf, who fought down what she was sure would be a brilliant blush. "Spill." Saf crinkled her nose and shoved at Tim's shoulders, but he was stronger than her, and refused to budge, so she just sighed and looked away.

"'M not avoiding you, I just need time to sort myself out." It sounded a lot better in her head. Tim seemed amused.

"You know that's a total breakup line, right? We aren't even dating," she didn't understand the squeezing feeling in her chest when he said that.

"Whatever, Birdie, can I go home now?"

"That wasn't a real answer, Saf. Why won't you just tell me?" He was straight- up pouting now.

"I have to go Timmy, we have a math test tomorrow," she grumbled, sliding out from beneath his body. He turned as she quickly made her way to the door.

"Don't you trust me anymore?" He asked. That wasn't playing fair, they both knew it, and Saf slumped against the door.

"Of course I do, Tim." He frowned at her unintentional use of his _name_ name, not a nickname. "I'll see you tomorrow." She slipped out the door and was gone, leaving a very confused Tim Drake wondering what just happened.

Saf collapsed when she made it back to Selina's penthouse, curling up on her bed without changing from Tim's cliché shirt and sweats. They smelled like him, and she didn't get why that made everything so much easier and harder at the same time, but it did, and she buried her face in a pillow, trying to calm herself down.

"Saf?" Selina poked her head through the door. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Saf replied honestly, turning so that her head was facing the door. "I'm having a miniature existential crisis, I believe. Nothing I can't sort out, given some time and space," she put a little emphasis on time and space, not enough to be immediately noticeable or taken offense to, but enough for the idea to be subconsciously planted into the psyche of the listener.

"Why don't you take the day off school tomorrow, hang out here," Selina suggested, leaning against the doorway. "I'm meeting Bruce anyway, so you'll have the whole house to yourself. Time to relax." It sounded like heaven, so Saf nodded.

"Thanks, that'll be great," she admitted. It would give her an extra day to study for the algebra test, which she was more than content to miss, and give her a break from the school divas trying to flirt with her best friend. "I'll see you in the morning?" Selina nodded, slipping out of the room quietly, and Saf pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned it on. She already had several messages from Tim, which were promptly ignored before she plugged it into the wall and walked over to her desk. An unfinished Spanish page lay to her left, her watercolors to her right, and she reached out for a brush absentmindedly. She didn't get what was wrong with her. She'd never felt angry toward any of the girls in her grade- they were all immature as far as she was concerned- and never had she felt _jealous_ over _Tim_ of all people. No romantic feelings whatsoever, up until recently, and as far as she could tell, he felt nothing toward her in that respect either. Saf slumped over in the chair, emotionally exhausted. Nothing made sense anymore.

Her phone buzzed across the room, but she ignored it. He'd stop trying to reach her eventually. Maybe. Probably not. Tim Drake could be a real stubborn bastard when he wanted to be, it was pretty much how he became Robin- after figuring out Bats and Robin's identities, of course. Saf was still impressed with people's ability to ignore the whole Bruce Wayne gains ward/ Batman gains Sidekick within the same timeframe thing, it seemed to obvious to her. She glared at her phone before dropping the paintbrush and sweeping out of the room, in desperate need of some chai tea.

* * *

A/N: I want to get to the fun stuff as soon as possible, so, yeup. Next chapter should be up sometime soon, it'll probably be only one or two more before I have the Reach take Saf. I really, really hate them, by the way. Black Beetle's a jackass. But I'm tired of the fandom hating on M'gann, too. Really, she breaks up with her boyfriend, and wants to see probably the only person/alien who knows her better than herself, why do you all assume she broke up with La'gaan just to get back together with Superboy? If I went through a breakup and my ex was being a dramatic baby, I'd want to talk to my best friend, too. Sorry for the rant! Please review!


	4. Chapter 3

Tim tapped his fingers absentmindedly against his thigh, waiting for the bell to ring. He'd lost track of the amount of times he'd called Saf within the past two days, with no answer whatsoever, he'd called about five times at lunch, and now he was waiting for final bell so he could track her down and get some straight answers before he had to go back to the mountain. Sure she was a thief, but Saf wanted to go to university at some point. She never skipped school.

Selina wasn't giving him answers either. She was at lunch with Bruce, Tim knew that much, but she wouldn't answer her phone, and Tim knew better than to try Bruce's. Five more minutes, he told himself, and then I can leave.

When you're waiting for something, five minutes might as well be an eternity. His lips dipped into a scowl, and he watched the second hand count down impatiently. Dick had hated Gotham Academy as well, and now Tim saw why. It was pure torture, sitting in school for almost nine hours with a tie obscuring your air supply, head rock solid with hair gel (it was like a helmet, Tim swore) and despite it being a rich kids' school, the uniform itched in places it really shouldn't. Tim squirmed in his seat, clenching and unclenching his hands as the clock hit the two minute marker. And then his phone buzzed.

** At Home. Not feeling well. See you later?**

And of course she knew he'd be breaking in at some point that night, she just knew not when. He sighed, thumbing in a quick affirmative reply and slipping the phone back into his pocket before the teacher saw anything. She was obviously lying, were she physically ill she'd have started to show symptoms the previous night, and now Tim was overanalyzing to comfort himself. It was sad that it still worked, he thought, slumping in his seat and counting down the remaining half minute with his eyes closed. He was out of his seat two seconds before the shrill bell went off, out the door three seconds after, spending no more than forty five seconds at his locker before rushing out to the entrance gate, where Alfred was waiting for him.

"Good afternoon, Master Tim," he said. Tim gave him a half smile.

"Hi, Alfred. Do we have time to stop by Saf's?"

"I believe Master Dick wishes to see you," Alfred stated, which was basically a no. Tim tried not to wrinkle his nose at the news, only nodded and slid into the leather interior of the Rolls-Royce, setting his heavy bookbag on the seat next to him and loosening the tie, finally able to relax some. He sighed in relief as he mussed up the hair, which would feel even better after a hot shower (Thank God Bruce was rich, else he wouldn't be able to pay the bills with the two- to three daily showers all of them took), slipped the tie off altogether and undid the top button and rolled up the sleeves of the formal shirt. The shoes were pinching at his feet, but there wasn't all that much he could do about it currently.

They pulled up to Wayne manor a few minutes later, and Tim slung the bag over his shoulder, jacket and tie in hand as he and Alfred walked in companionable silence to the heavy front doors. Tim smiled and thanked the butler as he held open the door, hurrying up to his room to change. He glared accusingly at his phone for a few minutes as though it was responsible for the lack of text messages from Saf, even though he knew that was unreasonable, before sighing, tossing it facedown on the bed and shucking his Gotham Academy uniform, ducking into the shower to wash the rock- hard gel from his hair before heading down to the Batcave. Dick looked as though he'd been sitting there all night. Stubble dusted his chin and cheeks, he never let himself forget to shave. Tim sat there observing him for a second, before moving.

"This much stress isn't good for you," Tim informed the man, striding confidently up to the massive computer.

"An unavoidable factor in this job," Dick replied easily, lazily, but it was oh so true.

"Nobody's asking you to save the world alone."

"Bruce is gone, Tim. I can take time off the 'Haven, Gotham needs me now. Without the League's big guns, I have to keep the team steady." Dick let his head fall into his hands. "How the hell does he do it?"

"An unhealthy amount of paranoia?" Tim offered, which managed to get a weak chuckle from his older brother. "Nobody wants you to _be _ him, Dick. Go upstairs and take a nap, the team can wait an hour or so."

"Promise you'll wake me?"

"Promise." It would also give him time to go breaking and entering. Dick sighed heavily and nodded, pushing himself out of the chair.

"I'm going to be gone later, so no patrol tonight," he called back as he went to take the Nightwing suit off. "We're having an intervention for Roy."

"Alright," Tim called back. "Now go to sleep!"

"Yes, Mother."

"Shut up, Dick." The older barked out a laugh.

"With that tone, I'm not sure if you're saying my name or trying to insult me." Tim didn't grace that with an answer, instead watching Dick to make sure the older man headed upstairs before turning to the computer and hacking into the security feed from the building across from Saf's bedroom. Sure, it was a little bit stalker like, but he was a bat. It was kinda part of the job.

He knew that Bruce had bugs installed inside the apartment, and it would be easy enough to hack onto them, but Selina knew they were there, which meant that Saf knew they were there, and she'd check them every once in a while if she was up to something suspicious. Unless she'd forgotten..

Tim pulled up the feed from one of the central cameras, only to find she'd gone and blocked it out with what appeared to be the back of a picture frame. Smooth. She'd be a great vigilante, if she tried. He switched to one of the less central bugs, and his eyebrow arched.

_Nice try, Timmy. I'll see you tonight, assuming you aren't off jumping through hoops or chasing aliens._

_-Saf xo_

She was deliberately trying to irritate him, he was sure of it.

* * *

Saf sat at her desk, her copy of the Brothers' Grimm fairytales propped up a few inches in front of her sketchbook. She leaned over the page she was working on, hands stained dark with charcoal as she blew a choppily cut section of bangs out of her eye. Taking a break from school had done wonders for her sanity, and she was now working hard at a scene straight out of Snow White, when the Queen tricked Snow into eating half of the apple. Saf sat back and looked it over, all long strokes and jagged lines, and gently replaced her charcoal in her case. She'd always been fascinated by the original tales, mostly because she hadn't believed in happily ever after since she was six. Saf sighed and rubbed her forehead with the back of one hand, undoubtedly smearing it with black. She needed to take a break from drawing, her eyes hurt. She figured a few episodes of _Supernatural _would fix that.

It was nearing seven, already dark, and Selina wasn't home yet, but Saf wasn't worried. She knew all about Bruce and Selina's relationship, and knew that her mentor would be back before dawn. Before Saf woke, at latest. She padded into the living room and put in a disk from the third season, which was arguably her favorite, it had so many good, funny moments. She liked the first for the freak- out factor, and the second was just awesome, but who didn't love the comedy bits? Saf curled up on the cushy red couch in the living room and turned the TV on, wrapping herself in a quilt. It was getting later, she figured she'd have a limited amount of time before Tim busted through a window. She figured that ignoring him probably wasn't her best idea.

She was watching _Ghostfacers_, and it was just past the part when Sam and Dean crashed in on the amateurs when Selina came in. She glanced at Saf, taking in her disheveled appearance. Selina looked perfect, as always, but Saf's hair was mussed and there was charcoal powder smeared over one of her cheeks, the blankets swamped her figure.

"How was your day?" Selina asked, setting down her clutch and slipping the heels off her feet, climbing up onto the couch next to her adopted daughter.

"It was okay," Saf shrugged. "I feel a lot better now. Spent a couple hours at the archery range."

"That's good." Selina smiled, looking relived, and Saf looked up as her mentor rose gracefully and walked into the adjoining kitchen. "Bruce is out of the atmosphere for a while, so I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity. I'll be gone most of the night."

"Okay. Tim will probably drop by at some point."

"He's an overprotective little bird, isn't he?" Selina teased. "As long as he takes good care of you, I guess. Goodnight, Saf."

"Night, Selina," Saf called as Selina sucked into her room. Saf pushed her blanket off, pausing her episode and venturing into the kitchen. She wasn't exactly in the mood to cook anything, so she pulled the fridge open and rummaged through leftover takeout containers. She pulled out some fried rice and sweet- sour pork, dumping them unceremoniously into a bowl and stuffing it in the microwave.

Saf glanced down at her hands, faded smudges of black and rough calluses. She'd never had a sheltered life, ever. Even with her parents- her mother was a drunk, and her father was so blindsided by his love for her that he refused to see that she was a bad person, that she would do more harm to their family than good.

She didn't look up when she heard the telltale rustle of a cape, or the light footsteps coming toward her. Saf stared down at her hands with a frown, trying to shake off the antsy feeling that clung to her like a second skin.

"Saf?"

"Hi, Timmy," Saf glanced up as Tim peeled off his mask, watching her with concerned eyes. "What brings you to the neighborhood?"

"How are you feeling?" Tim asked, ignoring her question. Saf used the incessant beeping of the microwave as an excuse to turn her back on him, grabbing at the bowl with bare fingertips. She let out a yelp at the heat and dropped the bowl, which Tim caught easily, standing next to her. "You didn't answer my question."

Saf hated that he was taller than she was. He never used to be.

"I'm fine." She grabbed a tea towel, wrapping the bowl with it and lifting it from Tim's hands, grabbing the fork from the counter. "Seriously. You can stop worrying."

"Sapphire," Tim said warningly.

"I'm just having a bad week, okay? Now take off the damn armor, I'm watching _Supernatural_ and _The Unusuals_." She slipped out of the kitchen, listening to him sigh and run a hand through his hair in what was probably exasperation.

"You're too stubborn," Tim told her as she curled up again, bringing her knees up onto the couch and hitting the play button. She gave him a smirk, eyes not leaving the screen.

"You love it, Timmy. Don't deny it." He rolled his eyes through a small smile, pulling off his Robin armor and boots, leaving him in the tunic and pants as he climbed up onto the couch next to her, carefully leaving a few inches between them. She nudged him with her foot.

"I don't bite, wimpy. Get comfortable, these shows will take you hostage and never let you leave."

"Right," Tim shook his head.

"No, no. It's true. I was an addict from the first time I saw an episode of _Supernatural_. I think it was season five, one of the later episodes. After that I bought the whole series and started a marathon for the beginning. Barely left the house." She smiled absently. "_The Unusuals_ snuck up on me. I don't usually like cop shows, but it's funny. I wish they hadn't cancelled it so early."

Tim sunk further into the couch when it became clear she was relaxing, tugging some of her blankets over himself and propping his feet up on the coffee table. Just like old times.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this is so late, I'm one of those people who never gets a damn break in life. It's not even like I'm busy all the time, my computer just hates me and I have really shitty luck, so, yeah. Updates for everything are going to be inconsistent as hell.


End file.
